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(No Model.)

H. E. STAGER. STEAM RADIATOR ATTACHMENT. No. 484,619. Patented Oct. 18, 1892.

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UNrTED STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

HENRY E. STAGER, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR ()F ONE-HALF TO JAMES E. WOODWORTH, OF SAME PLACE.

STEAM-RADIATOR ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 484,619, dated October 18, 1892.

Application filed May 21, 1891. Serial No. 393,580. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY E. STAGER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee, and

in the State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam- Radiator Attachments; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention has for its object to simplify the construction, insure the draining, avoid the employment of a drip-cup, and otherwise improve that class of devices set forth in Patent No. 436,150, issued September 9, 1890; and my invention therefore consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts to be hereinafter described with refence to the accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents avert-ical transverse section of my improved device, and Figs. 2 and 3 are horizontal sections respectively taken on lines 2 2 and 3 3 of Fig.1.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A rep- 2 5 resents a circular bottom piece provided With a vertical screw-threaded flange b for engagement with the screw-threaded open lower end of a casing B, the latter being formed in one piece with a central tube C, that extends in opposite directions from its top, and said bottom piece and easing when united form what may be generally termed a shell.

Cast or otherwise rigidly secured to the bottom piece A is a standard D, and fulcrumed to this standard is a lever E, to one end of which latter is secured a float F, of soapstone or other suitable material, the other end of said lever being provided with acounter-Weight G for said float.

4o Extending from the bottom piece A is a hollow branch I-I, screw-threaded at its outer end for attachment to a steam-radiator, and as a matter of preference said branchis also provided with a channel 0, having a continuation 61 thereof extended up in the casingB to a suitable elevation.

The tube extension 0 of the casing B has the upper end of its bore reduced to form a conical deflectlng-surface c, and is also shaped to form an annular flange f, the latter serving as a support for an elastic valve-seat I, this valve-seat being held in place by a screwplug J, engaging the outermost extremity of said tube-bore. The upper end of the tube extension 0 of the casing B is also reduced upon its outer side to form an annular shoulder g for the support of a cap K, the latter having one or more air-escape slits or openings h therein.

Pivotally connected to the lever E is the 50 lower end of a rod L, and screw-threaded or otherwise adjustable on the upper end of this rod is a conical valve M, of expansible material, opposed to the elastic seat I, a shank on said valve being extended up through an open 6 5 ing in the screw-plug J, above named.

The device above described being connected to a radiator and steam let onto thelatter, the air in advance of the steam will finally escape through the slit or slits h in the cap K, or, if

- the latter be detached, through the opening in the screw-plug J, and the expansion of the valve M, due to heat, will cause the latter to close the orifice in its seat I, and thereby prevent leakage of steam for any material length of time after the expulsion of the air from said radiator. In case the steam is more or less saturated with water the latter will be deflected by the conical surface at the upper end of the shell extension 0 to drip back into the chamber or shell formed by the bottom piece A and easing B, and thus I avoid the use of the outside drip-cup ordinarily employed in connection with air-valves. If from any cause the radiator fills with water, the latter will rise in the casing 13 and, acting on the float F, will cause the lever E to move on its fulcrum, and thus actuate the rod L to force the valve M (that in the meantime has contracted to its normal size) tight against the seat I to thereby effectually prevent any of the water from escaping into the apartment in which said radiator may be located. By having the valve-seat I of elastic material the valve need not be accurately finished to 5 insure a proper fit, and the greater the expansion of said valve or the pressure of the rod L thereon the more snug the engagement thereof in said seat.

In connection with devices similar to the one above described it is desirable that the same shall surely and promptly drain when the water in the radiator recedes, and to that end a pipe for the admission of steam from said radiator to the float-chamber was shown and described in the patent above noted; but this means is not entirely satisfactory because of the time and expense necessary to fit and attach such a pipe, especially if the attachment be unprovided with a suitable nipple or socket when placed upon the market.

In the present device the tube 0, forming part of the casing B, extends down in the latter far enough to come below the waterline when said shell is filling, and thus a certain amount of air will be compressed outside of said tube prior to the time the floatF rises to actuate the lever E and valve-rod L, as above described. Now if the radiator be drained the expansion of the air confined in my improved device will start the water, and the emptying of said device is thus insured. Assuming that there is not sufficient compression of air in the said device to start the main volume of water in the casing B, the water contained in the channel a 01 will be started, and this channel being cleared air from the radiator will have an entrance into said casing to start a flow therefrom. From the foregoing it will be seen that the means for collecting or admitting air to insure the draining of the above-described radiator attachment form part of the latter and no outside pipe or other fitting for the accomplishment of the same result is required.

By having the above-described attachment in circular form and virtually in but two sections I am enabled to materially cheapen the cost of production, especially when it is considered that all the working parts are set up on the bottom piece A, and the latter screwed onto the casing B, to thus complete the device ready for the market.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An attachment for steam-radiators that comprises a shell having an air-escape opening, a standard arranged within the shell, a counterbalanced float-controlled lever fulcrumed to the standard, a rod-valve connected to the lever in opposition to the air-escape opening, and suitable means for obtaining a compression of air within said shell when the latter is flooded to an extent sufficient to actuate the float, substantially as set forth.

2. An attachment for steam-radiators that comprises a shell having its top provided with a depending tube, a valve-seat in the upper lower end of said tube, substantially as set forth.

4. An attachment for steam-radiators that comprises a shell provided at the top with a depending tube having a valve-seat in its upper end, a tubular branch at the bottom of the shell, a channel in the branch having an extension leading up into said shell, and a counterbalanced float-controlled valve opposed to said seat, substantially as set forth.

5. An attachment for steam-radiators that comprises a suitable shell having its top provided with a depending tube that has an internal flange adjacent to its outer end, an elastic valve-seat supported on the flange, a retaining'plug for the valve-seat, astandard arranged within the shell, a counterbalanced float-controlled lever fulcrumed to the standard, a rod connected to the lever, and a valve adj ustably secured to the rod to oppose said seat and extend through the latter and its retaining-plug, substantially as set forth.

6. An attachment for steam-radiators that comprises a suitable shell having its top provided with a depending tube that has an internal flange adjacent to its outer end, an elastic valve-seat supported on the flange, a retaining-plug for the valve-seat, a perforated cap fitted to the tube, a standard arranged within the shell, a counterweighted float-controlled lever fulcrumed to the standard,a rod connected to the lever, and a valve adj ustably secured to the rod to oppose said seat and extend through the latter and its retaining-plug, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand, at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, in the presence of two witnesses.

H. E. STAGER. Witnesses:

N. E. OLIPHANT, JOHN E. WILES. 

